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The Clone Wars Episode Guide: The Zillo Beast Strikes Back

Episode No.: 41 (Season 2, Episode 19)
Original Air Date: April 16th, 2010
Production No.: 223 (Season 2, Episode 23)

Written by Steven Melching
Supervising Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg
Staff Writer: Brian Larsen
Directed by Steward Lee

Key Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Chancellor Palpatine, Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, C-3PO, Doctor Sionval Boll, Aayla Secura
Key Locales: Coruscant

Cast:
Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine
Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker
Cara Pifko as Dr. Sionver Boll
Terrence Carson as Mace Windu
Catherine Taber as Padmé Amidala
Dee Bradley Baker as clone troopers
Tom Kane as narrator and Yoda
Stephen Stanton as Mas Amedda
James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Senate Guard
Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura

Full Synopsis:

“The most dangerous beast is the beast within.”

Newsreel
A calculated risk! Following a costly
victory on the planet Malastare,
Chancellor Palpatine orders Jedi
Knights Mace Windu and Anakin
Skywalker to transport a fearsome
Zillo beast captured during the battle Back to Coruscant.

After seeing that not even a
lightsaber could harm the beast,
Chancellor Palpatine hopes to unlock the secret of its invulnerability to create new armor for the Republic’s clone troopers. Tensions run high as the most dangerous life form in the galaxy touches down on its mostpopulous planet….

ACT I

An enormous transport touches down in an embarkation zone on Coruscant near the monolithic Republic Science and Technical Center. Heavily armed clone troopers serve as security as the slumbering Zillo Beast is carted from the ship. Arriving by gunship are Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker, who convene with Chancellor Palpatine. Windu once again voices his reservations about the beast’s presence on the capital, but the Chancellor insists it is a chance to uncover a technological edge that could end the war. Mace turns over stewardship of the creature to Doctor Sionver Boll.

Later, within the Jedi Council chambers, Mace commiserates with Obi-Wan Kenobi about the Chancellor’s reckless plan. Obi-Wan has an idea as to how to convince Palpatine of the threat posed by the Zillo Beast.

Within the hangar-like space of the science center, the Zillo Beast is contained by force-fields and girder-like structures while Dr. Boll supervises its examination. Worker and medical droids poke around its hardened scale plates. Chancellor Palpatine visits the doctor, checking on her progress. Dr. Boll fears the only way to properly extract a scale sample would be to kill the beast, but she is reluctant to do so, suspecting the rare Zillo may in fact be intelligent. Palpatine implores her to continue, suggesting that she use Malastarian fuel to weaken the Zillo. Palpatine threatens that if Dr. Boll cannot kill the beast, she will be replaced by someone who can. The Zillo Beast seems to recognize the malice in Palpatine.

In the Senate building, Padmé Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi convince Anakin to speak to the Chancellor and express their concerns. Amidala worries that no one in a position of power is representing what’s in the best interests of the alien life-form.

ACT II

In the Chancellor’s office, Padmé and Palpatine debate the merits of secretly dooming the creature to extinction. Anakin attempts to remain impartial, but the Chancellor is steadfast. He contacts Doctor Boll, who reports success in converting the Malastarian fuel into a poison gas. The Chancellor orders the Zillo Beast gassed.

Worker droids begin dousing the creature. It bucks and bolts, tearing the girders apart and shorting out the shields. The enraged monster breaks loose, shattering out of the science center. It makes its way towards the dense city lights.

Alarms wail in the metropolitan canyons as the Zillo Beast clambers through the dense cityscape. Republic gunships attempt to contain the monster, but to no avail. The creature reacts intensely to a holographic billboard of Chancellor Palpatine. It tears through the projector, enraged by the politician’s face.

Doctor Boll reports to the Chancellor that she needs time to synthesize more toxin. The creature charges the Senate office building. Its enormous head fills the panoramic window of the Chancellor’s office. Anakin, Padmé, the Chancellor, and C-3PO and R2-D2 evacuate the building. They head to an emergency escape route occupied by a sleek executive ship.

Meanwhile, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan fly to the embarkation area in transports to collect a column of armored stun tanks. Yoda, within the Jedi Temple, supervises the Jedi action with the aid of Aayla Secura.

Palpatine’s ship lifts off from the executive building, but it is plucked from the sky by the Zillo Beast, who holds the vessel as it if were a mere toy.

ACT III

The Republic tanks arrive in the Senate district and deploy in formation. Mace Windu orders them to fire on the beast, but Yoda countermands him. The elder Jedi Master reports that the creature is clutching the Chancellor’s shuttle. Using a gunship, Yoda and Aayla Secura fly up to the creature and leap atop its back to distract it.

Inside the shuttle, the bulkheads creak and groan under the strain of the Zillo Beast’s clutches. Anakin springs into action, slicing through the cabin with his lightsaber. He shears the ship into two sections, separating the crew cabin from creature’s grasp. The cabin slides down the sloping building surface while Mace Windu and Obi-Wan slow the section’s descent. Anakin, Padmé and the droids spill out of the cabin, sliding freely on their own. Anakin grabs Padmé before she falls off the edge, while R2-D2 affixes himself to the building surface, and stops C-3PO’s fall.

With the Chancellor out of the creature’s reach (with thanks to R2-D2’s boosters), the gunships and tanks open concentrated fire on the Zillo Beast. Republic gunships lob gas bombs, engulfing the monster in a toxic green cloud. It eventually collapses and dies, sliding to a stop at the foot of the Senate executive building.

The next day, the creature’s corpse is carted back to the science center. Chancellor Palpatine vows that the Zillo Beast’s sacrifice not be in vain. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, however, he orders Doctor Boll to clone the beast.

Trivia & Details

• The holographic billboard of Palpatine is repeating the same address seen in “Lightsaber Lost.”
• The droids tending to the Zillo Beast include re-purposed heavy labor droids first seen in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

Memorable Quotes

• “Chancellor, I must protest. Besides being the last of its kind, this creature may be intelligent.”
• “I find that hard to believe. It is, after all, just an animal.” — Dr. Boll and Chancellor Palpatine

“I applaud your high moral stance, Doctor. After all, principle is in short supply these days. — Palpatine

“Doctor, you need to find a way to kill that Beast, or we shall replace you with someone who can.” — Palpatine

“I sympathize my dear, truly I do. But consider this: a democracy is only as strong as the people who comprise it.” — Palpatine to Senator Amidala

“Of course, in wartime, some things must be kept secret. Even from the people, so as not to aid the enemy.” — Anakin Skywalker

“We’re doomed.” — C-3PO

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” — Chancellor Palpatine

• “Looks like one of Anakin’s improvised plans.”
• “How can it be a plan if its improvised?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu

“A lot of the General’s plans involve falling.” — Clone Captain Rex

Just as a FYI, to avoid old posts becoming one with the Force, this post has been republished so it can be a blue glowy thing, it was Originally posted 2023-06-19 12:00:57.